An inflatable lifejacket can be fitted to the body of a wearer by means of a harness and buckles, and the like. Alternatively, a lifejacket can be integrated into an article of clothing or specialized outerwear, such as a water survival suit.
Because of their function, lifejackets have been developed to inflate in a number of different ways. An automatic inflatable lifejacket includes a pressure and/or water sensitive device which automatically releases inflating medium into an inflatable bladder upon activation, for example when a wearer falls into the water. Alternatively, the lifejacket can include a manual actuation mechanism for inflating the lifejacket, where the mechanism is activated by the wearer to release the inflating medium. The inflating medium typically is a cartridge of gas which is held under pressure. Such inflation medium may for example be carbon dioxide.
To provide an increased range of motion while being worn, lifejackets can be provided in a collapsed or deflated state, where the inflatable bladder is held within a flexible casing. Upon inflation, the flexible casing gives way, allowing the inflatable bladder to open in a controlled fashion.
A type of lifejacket is a split front twin lobe, or horse-shoe type, lifejacket, which is fitting about the wearer's neck and includes twin parallel legs extending along the torso of the wearer. This lifejacket includes an inflatable bladder fitted within a flexible casing. A harness is affixed to the lifejacket for securing the lifejacket to the body of the wearer, or the casing can be fixed to an outerwear. Because of the shape of the casing, the wearer has an increased range of motion, with minimal interference from the lifejacket. When the split front lifejacket is inflated, the front legs, along the torso of wearer, and the collar portion, about the neck of the wearer, inflate to provide buoyancy to the wearer. The collar portion provides the additional advantage of providing buoyancy to the wearer's neck and head.